All is set for the Batang Pinoy in Maasin City. The Philippine Sports Commission and the Maasin City Sports Council together with the City Government of Maasin are all ready for the conduct of the Batang Pinoy 2013 Visayas Qualifying Leg in Maasin City on September 24-28, 2013. Likewise, the Luzon leg will be held in Iba, Zambales on October 15-19, 2013 while the Mindanao leg was held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on August 27-31, 2013.

The PSC Batang Pinoy Secretariat led by Atty. Jay Alano, Batang Pinoy Executive Director, has arrived in the city. Three thousand athletes are expected to join the games and they will be billeted in schools. The opening ceremony will be at the Maasin City Gym on September 24 in the afternoon before an expected full house crowd.

Maasin City was informed of the hosting only last May. But holding of national and regional sporting events is not new to Maasin City. Last February, it hosted the 2013 National Boxing Championships which the ABAP officials considered as the most successful staging of the event. The Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) of the Department of Education was played in Maasin three times in 1998, 2005 and 2012.

Batang Pinoy is pursuant to Executive Order No. 44 also known as Philippine Youth Games. In partnership with the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Department of Education and the respective Local Government Units, this national program encourages the participation of children ages 15 and below in the games under the supervision of the different sports associations.

The first, second and third placers of the different regional legs will qualify for the Batang Pinoy National Championships which will be held in Bacolod City on November 19-23, 2013. The original host was Zamboanga City but because of the ongoing crisis with the Muslim rebels the PSC and the POC decided to change the venue.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the hosting was signed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the City Government of Maasin. The signing ceremony was held at the Philsports Arena media room in Pasig City last July 23, 2013.

The PSC was represented by Commissioner Jose Luis Gomez while this writer singed in behalf of the city government. Batang Pinoy Executive Director Atty. Jay Alano and Maasin City Administrator Atty. Feorillo Demeterio, Jr. witnessed the signing ceremony.

This will be a smoke-free Batang Pinoy and smoking will be strictly prohibited in all billeting quarters, playing venues and public places and public utility vehicles. The city is a Hall of Fame Red Orchid awardee on anti-smoking of the Department of Health and World Health Organization.

Last year, Maasin City placed seventh during the Visayas leg held in Tacloban City with 10 golds, 28 silvers and 16 bronzes. Cebu City was the first placer with 70-56-54 medal harvest, with 35 gold medals in dance sports. Second was Leyte province represented by Leyte Sports Academy with 39 gold medals, of which 32 were in athletics, together with 26 silver and 27 bronze medals.

Third was Bacolod City with 32-26-27 slate, with 17 golds from swimming. Negros Occidental finished fourth with 17 gold medals in swimming.
Mandaue City reaped a 16-5-9 medal haul for a fifth place finish. Aklan got a 14-18-12 medal to rank sixth.

Maasin City was the smallest local government unit (LGU) among the top ten in the Visayas standings. But our athletes were not ale to compete in the national finals in Iloilo City on December 5-8, 2012 due to the typhoon.